Abstract
Software development and maintenance outsource contracts may lead to conflicts between the client and the service organization. For a significant number of disputes, the conflict may reach the point of litigation for breach of contract. The author and his colleagues are often commissioned to perform independent assessments of contract software projects. We are also engaged as expert witnesses in litigation associated with breach of software contracts. Continue reading
The first major discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) took place on the Campus of Dartmouth College in 1956. One result of this meeting was funding by the U.S. and British governments for AI research. The participants in the 1956 meeting included Claude Shannon and Nathan Rochester from IBM, Marvin Minsky, John McCarthy, and others. McCarthy proposed the term “artificial intelligence” which was accepted by the group. Continue reading
This talk starts before computers with the development of numbering systems and in particular the development and use of the number 0 and of negative numbers. The report also discusses the evolution of mathematical operations such as multiplication and division, as precursors to mechanical computation. The practical use of numbers in fields such as architecture, astronomy, road building, and navigation will be discussed. Continue reading
There are millions of software projects in the world, and thousands of software technologies available. This means that research into topics that affect software project outcomes is of necessity a complicated issue. By concentrating on the extreme ends of possible results, it is easier to see the root causes of success and failure. Continue reading
In all human history a few important inventions have changed the way people work and live. Among these key inventions are airplanes, automobiles, electric power, and personal computers. Airplanes allowed people and products to move from city to city and county to county in only a few hours. Automobiles allowed people to work and shop miles from where they lived. Electric power allowed people to work and entertain at night as well as bringing out a host of new appliances such as refrigerators and air-conditioning. Continue reading